Eliseo Melero

Eliseo is the owner of the Normandie House, and along with Brad, the longest resident. He’s also the most accomplished cook in the house: he enrolled in the Cordon Bleu after arriving in the States from Mexico because he didn’t know how to boil water and wanted to cook for himself. He graduated and went to cook, and then work as executive chef in fine dining restaurants, from Colorado to Alaska to Arizona.

Eliseo is the master of classical techniques — sauces and stocks and desserts and delicate cuts of meat. He’s also the most creative garnisher in the house. Anything you see pictures of, with elaborate heaps of flowers or drizzles of candy are his.Eliseo has been working on some Mexican recipes lately, from his sisters, or his mother (who still lives in rural Durango Mexico). But his specialties are things like pork loin in porcini cream sauce; aji de gallina; turducken; and some of the best pizza you’ll find in Los Angeles.